Bridewell signs Superstock deal with Lorenzini.

Tommy Bridewell has signed a deal with the Lorenzini by Leoni Yamaha Italia Team which will see him contest both the FIM 1000cc Superstock Championship and the Italian Superstock Championship.

After a season racing in the Italian Superbike Championship on Team Naturally Best's Suzuki GSX-R1000K6, and also contesting the Suzuki GSX-R750 European Cup, the 20-year old contested the final round of the World Superbike Championship at Portimao, finishing a battling 25th place on his ageing machine.

His potential, however, was spotted by team owner Vanni Lorenzini, who offered Bridewell a test on a 2008-spec Yamaha R1 Superstock machine normally ridden by Michele Magnoni at the same Portuguese track the following week. Running quicker than the Italian had in the race, Bridewell ended up fastest in the Superstock class, and Lorenzini moved quickly to put a deal together.

Despite attracting the attentions of a number of other teams in both the UK and abroad, the pair have agreed terms which will see the Briton race for the Lorenzini team in 2009, with an option to continue in 2010.

"This is the ride I've been after and I know that the team is capable of winning the championship so it's up to me," Bridewell commented after concluding the deal at Cartagena, where the team tested earlier this week, "They are a great bunch of guys who have moved heaven and earth to get me on one of their bikes.

"Their pedigree is proven. There's lots of work to do, and it won't be easy, but I'll simply knuckle down to the task, learn what I need and then give it my best shot. I really can't thank everyone enough who has been involved in putting this together. After racing in Europe last year, I know virtually all the tracks so that's not a problem and I'm really looking forward to going racing."